Biometric enrollment systems and methods

• US 10,366,296 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2017
• Issued: 07/30/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Princeton Identity Inc.
• Original Assignee: Princeton Identity Inc.
• Inventors: Mapen, Barry E., Ackerman, David Alan, Bergen, James Russell, Perna, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Jon
• Application Number:
  US15/475,425
• Publication Number:
  US 20170286790A1
• Time in Patent Office: 851 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/168 Feature extraction; Face representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/197 Matching; Classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/50 Maintenance of biometric data or enrolment thereof

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments are directed to biometric enrollment systems including a camera and an image analysis module. The camera configured is to capture a probe image of a subject, the probe image including an iris of the subject. The image analysis module is configured to determine an iris characteristic of the iris in the probe image. The image analysis module is configured to analyze the probe image relative to a first enrollment image to determine if a match exists based on the iris characteristic. If the match exists, the image analysis module is configured to electronically store the matched probe image as an accepted image. The image analysis module is configured to select and establish the accepted image as a second enrollment image if the accepted image meets enrollment image criteria.

Claims

1. A biometric enrollment system, comprising:

a camera configured to capture a probe image of a subject, the probe image including an iris of the subject; and

an image analysis module configured to (i) determine an iris characteristic of the iris in the probe image, (ii) analyze the probe image relative to a first enrollment image to determine if a match exists based on the iris characteristic, (iii) if the match exists, electronically store the matched probe image as an accepted image, and (iv) select and establish the accepted image as a second enrollment image if the accepted image meets enrollment image criteria;

wherein the first enrollment image is electronically stored in a first bin of at least first and second bins, the first and second bins corresponding to different ranges of the iris characteristic;

wherein the iris characteristic in the first enrollment image falls within the range of the iris characteristic of the first bin, a coverage area of the iris characteristic of the first enrollment image extending across at least a portion of the first bin and at least across a portion of the second bin;

wherein the accepted image is electronically stored in the second bin, the iris characteristic of the accepted image falling within the range of the iris characteristic of the second bin; and

wherein the accepted image meets the enrollment image criteria if the iris characteristic of the accepted image is within the coverage area of the first enrollment image.

2. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the iris characteristic is a normalized iris texture ratio (NITR) of the iris.

3. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the coverage area of the first enrollment image defines a variation in the iris characteristic of the iris acceptable for a match with the first enrollment image.

4. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the enrollment image criteria includes whether the iris characteristic of the iris in the probe image meets an iris biometric standard.

5. The biometric enrollment system of claim 4, wherein the iris biometric standard is at least one of International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 19794 or ISO 29794.

6. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, comprising one or more illumination sources configured to illuminate the iris of the subject.

7. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the second enrollment image includes a coverage area partially overlapping the coverage area of the first enrollment image.

8. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein if the match does not exist, the image analysis module is configured to electronically store the probe image as a rejected image in a database.

9. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the first enrollment image, the accepted image, and the second enrollment image are electronically stored in a database.

10. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the second bin is immediately adjacent to the first bin.

11. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the range of the iris characteristic of the first bin is different in size than the range of the iris characteristic of the second bin.

12. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the image analysis module is configured to (i) electronically store a second accepted image in a third bin, the third bin corresponding to a different range of the iris characteristic than the first and second bins, the coverage area of the iris characteristic of the first enrollment image extending across at least a portion of the third bin, the iris characteristic of the second accepted image falling within the range of the iris characteristic of the third bin, and (ii) select and establish the second accepted image as a third enrollment image if the accepted image meets the enrollment image criteria, the second accepted image meeting the enrollment image criteria if the iris characteristic of the second accepted image is within the coverage area of at least one of the first enrollment image and the second enrollment image, wherein the coverage area of the iris characteristic of the third enrollment image extends across at least a portion of the first bin and at least across a portion of the third bin.

13. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the coverage area of the iris characteristic of the first enrollment image is greater in size than the coverage area of the iris characteristic of the second enrollment image, the greater coverage area of the first enrollment image corresponding with a high threshold for accepting a match with a subsequent probe image having the iris characteristic falling within the coverage area of the first enrollment image, and the reduced coverage area of the second enrollment image corresponding with a lower threshold for accepting a match with a subsequent probe image having the iris characteristic falling within the coverage area of the second enrollment image.

14. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein if a third bin adjacently disposed to the second bin includes a third enrollment image, the coverage area of the iris characteristic of the second enrollment image is established smaller in size than the coverage area of the iris characteristic of the first enrollment image.

15. The biometric enrollment system of claim 1, wherein the image analysis module is configured to reduce the coverage area of the first enrollment image after selection and establishment of the accepted image as the second enrollment image, the reduced coverage area of the first enrollment image at least partially overlapping the coverage area of the second enrollment image.

16. A method of biometric system enrollment, comprising:

capturing a probe image of a subject with a camera, the probe image including an iris of the subject;

determining an iris characteristic of the iris in the probe image with an image analysis module;

analyzing the probe image relative to a first enrollment image to determine if a match exists based on the iris characteristic, the first enrollment image is electronically stored in a first bin of at least first and second bins, the first and second bins corresponding to different ranges of the iris characteristic, the iris characteristic in the first enrollment image falling within the range of the iris characteristic of the first bin, a coverage area of the iris characteristic of the first enrollment image extending across at least a portion of the first bin and at least across a portion of the second bin;

if the match exists, electronically storing the matched probe image as an accepted image, the accepted image is electronically stored in the second bin, the iris characteristic of the accepted image falling within the range of the iris characteristic of the second bin;

determining if the accepted image meets enrollment image criteria, the accepted image meeting the enrollment image criteria if the iris characteristic of the accepted image is within the coverage area of the first enrollment image; and

if the accepted image meets the enrollment image criteria, selecting and establishing the accepted image as a second enrollment image.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising illuminating the iris of the subject with one or more illumination sources.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the coverage area of the first enrollment image defines a variation in the iris characteristic of the iris acceptable for a match with the first enrollment image.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein determining if the accepted image meets the enrollment image criteria comprises determining whether the iris characteristic of the iris in the probe image meets an iris biometric standard.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the iris biometric standard is at least one of International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 19794 or ISO 29794.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein if the match does not exist, the method comprises electronically storing the probe image as a rejected image in a database.

22. The method of claim 16, comprising electronically storing the first enrollment image, the accepted image, and the second enrollment image in a database.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions for biometric system enrollment that are executable by a processing device, wherein execution of the instructions by the processing device causes the processing device to:

capture a probe image of a subject with a camera, the probe image including an iris of the subject;

determine an iris characteristic of the iris in the probe image with an image analysis module;

analyze the probe image relative to a first enrollment image to determine if a match exists based on the iris characteristic, the first enrollment image is electronically stored in a first bin of at least first and second bins, the first and second bins corresponding to different ranges of the iris characteristic, the iris characteristic in the first enrollment image falling within the range of the iris characteristic of the first bin, a coverage area of the iris characteristic of the first enrollment image extending across at least a portion of the first bin and at least across a portion of the second bin;

if the match exists, electronically store the matched probe image as an accepted image, the accepted image is electronically stored in the second bin, the iris characteristic of the accepted image falling within the range of the iris characteristic of the second bin;

determine if the accepted image meets enrollment image criteria, the accepted image meeting the enrollment image criteria if the iris characteristic of the accepted image is within the coverage area of the first enrollment image; and

if the accepted image meets the enrollment image criteria, select and establish the accepted image as a second enrollment image.

24. A biometric enrollment system, comprising:

a camera configured to capture a probe image of a subject; and

an image analysis module configured to (i) determine a subject characteristic of the subject in the probe image, (ii) analyze the probe image relative to a first enrollment image to determine if a match exists based on the subject characteristic, (iii) if the match exists, electronically store the matched probe image as an accepted image, and (iv) select and establish the accepted image as a second enrollment image if the accepted image meets enrollment image criteria;

wherein the first enrollment image is electronically stored in a first bin of at least first and second bins, the first and second bins corresponding to different ranges of the subject characteristic;

wherein the subject characteristic in the first enrollment image falls within the range of the subject characteristic of the first bin, a coverage area of the subject characteristic of the first enrollment image extending across at least a portion of the first bin and at least across a portion of the second bin;

wherein the accepted image is electronically stored in the second bin, the subject characteristic of the accepted image falling within the range of the subject characteristic of the second bin; and

wherein the accepted image meets the enrollment image criteria if the subject characteristic of the accepted image is within the coverage area of the first enrollment image.

25. The biometric enrollment system of claim 24, wherein the subject characteristic is a normalized iris texture ratio (NITR) of an iris of the subject.

26. The biometric enrollment system of claim 24, wherein the coverage area of the first enrollment image defines a variation in the subject characteristic acceptable for a match with the first enrollment image.

27. The biometric enrollment system of claim 24, wherein the enrollment image criteria includes whether the subject characteristic in the probe image meets a biometric standard.

28. The biometric enrollment system of claim 27, wherein the biometric standard is at least one of International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 19794 or ISO 29794.

29. The biometric enrollment system of claim 24, wherein the subject characteristic is a facial characteristic of the subject.

30. The biometric enrollment system of claim 29, wherein the facial characteristic of the subject is at least one of a muscle landmark or a bone landmark of the subject.